Smoke incinerator for ash trays



S. WARN-OCK SMOKE INCINERATOR FOR ASH TRAYS Jan. 20, 1970 Filed April 15. 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

'Jan.'20,.1970 $.V\\IARNOCK' 3,490,466

SMOKE INCINERATOR FOR ASH TRAYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15. 1968 INVENTOR, 571M015 L WAR/V086 BY $4M, Quad/6M d Arrow/5Y5 Jan. 20, 1970 s. WARNOCK SMOKE I NCINERATOR FOR ASH TRAYS Filed April 15. 1968 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 54/ /05 L 14770F/VEY5 United States Patent Ofice 3,490,466 SMOKE INCINERATOR FOR ASH TRAYS Samuel Warnock, 2332 Minor Ave. E., Apt. 5, Seattle, Wash. 98102 Filed Apr. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 721,384

Int. Cl. A24f 19/14 U.S. Cl. 131-238 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A smoke incinerator for ash trays comprising an elongated, open-ended, upright tubular device for collecting the smoke from an ash tray and releasing it into the ambient atmosphere thereabove, in a clarified condition. The device has a body of liquid-burning fuel such as parafiin wax or kerosene disposed therein, and the fuel body has means such as a capillary wick connected therewith to support an open flame. In addition, there are smoke channeling means on the device which define an intermediate throat therein that is reduced in diameter relative to the lower end opening of the device. The throat is arranged about the wick so that the smoke is channeled through the contiguous region of the flame in reaching the ambient atmosphere above the ash tray.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The smoke from lighted tobacco-burners such as cigars, cigarettes, and pipes contains unburned particles and fumes which tend to collect in a closed room and become objectionable to those occupying it. The smoke is particularly objectionable in the area about an ash tray on which a lighted tobacco-burner is allowed to stand and burn. Therefore, numerous devices have been proposed for elevating the smoke to a level above the heads of those in the room. However, these devices do nothing to clarify the smoke; and as a consequence, the objectionable ingredients of the smoke continue to go into suspension in the room and ultimately form a halo which drops into the breathing zone of'those in the room.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device for clarifying the smoke from an ash tray before the hot gases in the smoke are released into the ambient atmosphere thereabove. By clarify, I mean a condition in which the unburned particles and fumes are removed from the smoke and the efiiuent is essentially hot gases which are readily assimilated in the normal atmosphere of a room. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature in which the clarification process is carried out by means of incineration, that is, afterburning of the unburned particles and fumes. A still further object is to provide a device of this nature in which the incineration process is carried out by means of an open flame, so as to be as thorough and eflicacious as possible. Other objects include the provision of a device of this nature as which the incinerator is safely and simply constructed, is easily employed by the untrained, and is also attractive in appearance so as to contribute to the decor of the room in which it is used. Still further objects will be apparent from the description of the invention which follows hereafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects are realized by a smoke incinerator of 3,490,466 Patented Jan. 20, 1970 my invention comprising an elongated, open-ended, upright tubular device for collecting the smoke from the ash tray and releasing it into the ambient atmosphere thereabove, in a clarified condition. The device has an intermediate throat therein that is reduced in diameter relative to the lower end opening thereof. The throat operates to channel the smoke upwardly through the device; and there is a burner element adjacent the throat which is openly disposed in the path of the smoke for supporting an afterburning eflect therein. The elementhas means connectedtherewith which are operative to generate a temperature in the region contiguous thereto, having a magnitude adapted to incinerate unburned particles and fumes in the smoke. For example, the burner may comprise an electrical resistor grid or a propane gas fed nozzle; but in all of my preferred embodiments, it takes the form of a capillary wick for supporting an open flame generated by a liquid burning fuel such as paraflin wax or kerosene. The throat is arranged about the wick so that the smoke is channeled through the contiguous region of the flame in reaching the ambient atmosphere above the ash tray. Preferably, the wick is upstanding from the fuel body, and the throat is annular in form and arranged about the lower end portion thereof so as to feed the smoke upwardly through the contiguous region of the flame. Moreover, I also prefer to employ an open ended frustoconical shroud between the throat and the lower end opening of the device, so that the smoke is funneled upwardly through the throat with the minimal turbulence. However, turbulence or eddying is desirable on the upper side of the throat so as to recirculate the smoke through the region of the flame for the maximum clarification eifect. Accordingly, I prefer to connect a bulbous or divergentconvergent flue to the upper end opening of the shroud, and to locate the throat adjacent to this end with the capillary wick upstanding from the fuel body in the flue. In fact, in the case of a solid fuel body such as a candle, having a relatively short wick, I normally mount the body to terminate within the throat so that the flame can operate in the divergent portion of the flue under capillary action.

. The device may be supported on the ash tray or separate from it. For example, the fuel body may be carried in a base which rests on the ash tray and has the device supported thereon. Or the device may rest on the ash tray and have the fuel body supported thereon. Various other arrangements are also possible, but in all cases it is preferred to elevate the wick to a level well above the bottom of the ash tray, i.e., 5-12 inches thereabove, so that the smoke has ample space in which to coalesce before it is discharged into the contiguous region of the flame. For this reason, the fuel body is usually mounted on a pedestal at a point well above the bottom of the ash tray. Each of the shroud and the carrying base mentioned above may serve as such a pedestal for the fuel body.

Another feature of my invention contemplates the provision of means for maintaining the level of the flame in relation to the throat. Still another contemplates the insertion of a particle filter between the throat and the lower end opening of the device.

These features and advantages will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated several embodiments of my invention, but of course without any intention of limiting the invention to these embodiments.

In the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment; I

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the center of this embodiment;

FIGURE 3 is a partial horizontal cross-sectional view along the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a part vertical center cross-sectional view through the flue portion of the shroud in FIGURES 13 FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of another embodiment;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of this second embodiment as indicated by the lines 6-6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of a third embodiment;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment; and

FIGURES 9 and 10 are vertical and horizontal crosssectional views of this fourth embodiment along the lines 9--9 and 10-10, respectively, of the figures.

Referring firstly to the embodiment illustrated in FIG- URES 1-4, it will be seen that a pair of cigarettes 2 have been placed on an ash tray 4 having a smoke incinerator 6 thereabove which is constructed in accord with the present invention. The ash tray 4 has a circular base 8 and a relatively outwardly flared wall 10 upstanding therearound at the periphery of the base. The rim 12 of the Wall is indented at equally circumferentially spaced points to receive short U-shaped channels 14 which provide resting points for the cigarettes. The ash tray is gripped and moved about by means of a looped handle 16 attached to the wall on one side of the ash tray. The ash tray is formed and shaped from metal and in the shaping process a slightly frusto-conical dais 18 is raised at the center of the base. The upper end edge of the dais is indented therearound to form a ledge 20 on which to support the smoke incinerator as shall be explained.

The smoke incinerator 6 has an elongated, open-ended, upright tubular construction and includes a telescoping shroud and flue, 22 and 24, respectively. The shroud 22 has a frusto-conical cross-section which flares into a short cylindrical cap 26 at the top. The cap is inwardly flanged at the rim 28 so that the shroud can be supported on a pedestal upstanding therein. The pedestal is seen at 30 and in this instance comprises a hollow cylindrical post 32 having a similarly cross-sectioned but relatively enlarged candle holder 34 at the top. In erecting the assembly, the pedestal is telescoped onto the ledge 20 of the dais 18 and the shroud 22 is then lowered over the pedestal until the rim flange 28 rests on the rim of the candle holder. As seen the skirt 36 of the shroud is such as to leave a narrow circumferential slot opening 38 between the shroud and the rim of the ash tray. This opening admits fresh air to the shroud and facilitates use of the ash tray.

The bottom 40 of the candle holder is disc-shaped and has a pair of spaced, shallow, concentric ring walls 42 and 44 upstanding therefrom. The relatively outer wall 42 is spaced from the peripheral edge of the bottom, to form a narrow ledge 46 therearound; and in addition the space between the walls is perforated by a series of holes 48 extending about the full circumference of the holder. The ledge 46 and outer wall 42 provide a seat for a stiff cylindrical metal screen 50 which has a band 52 of metal welded to the upper end thereof to form the rim of the holder. The band has an annular flange around the inside thereof to form a narrow ledge 54 therewithin. The inside diameter of the ledge 54 is considerably greater than the diameter of the relatively inner ring wall 44 on the bottom of the holder.

In use, the candle holder 34 supports both a cup candle 56 and a bulbous chimney glass 58. The candle 56 is inserted to rest on the bottom 40 of the holder 34 within the inner ring wall 44 thereof. Thereafter, the bottom edge 60 of the chimney glass is rested on the ledge 54 formed within the band 52. Because of the difference in diameter between the ledge 54 and the inner ring wall 44, a narrow annular throat 62 is formed between the edge 60 of the glass and the cup 64 of the candle. This throat provides for escape of the smoke from the shroud 22 into the glass 58. As will be seen, it also provides for afterburning the smoke in the manner of the invention.

The candle cup 64 contains a body of solid candle fuel 66 having a capillary wick 68 immersed therein but projecting at one end 70 above the body to support an open flame. Referring in particular to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that the smoke from the cigarettes rises up through the holes 48 in the bottom 40 of the candle holder, as well as up through the screen 50 around the holder. In the case of the latter portion, particles and fumes in the smoke are to some extent filtered out onto the screen; however, air and other gases in the smoke escape through the screen into the annular channel 72 formed between the candle and the screen. As a result, the smoke mass in the channel 72 exits through the throat 62 in a relatively diluted condition, so that when the smoke is drawn into the region 74 contiguous to the flame, there is sufficient oxygen present to assure that the unburned particles and fumes in the smoke are readily incinerated. Moreover, most of those which are not so incinerated on their first pass through the region of the flame, are subsequently recirculated through the region 74 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4. Note the eddying currents set up by the divergent-convergent cross-sectional character of the chimney glass 58. As a sum total of these effects, the eflluent passing through the top 76 of the glass has a considerably reduced quantity of particles and fumes which are objectionable in nature.

In order to trap the maximum quantity of smoke, it is desirable that the shroud cover the entire open area of the ash tray. The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 employs a shroud 22 whose rim 78 has a diameter equal to that of the ash tray 4. As a consequence, the shroud more closely canopies the ash tray, and the height of the annular opening 38 therebetween is reduced. However, semi-circular notches 80 are formed in the rim 78 of the shroud at the locations of the rests 14 to allow for convenient use of the ash tray.

If desired, the incinerator may rest on the rim 12 of the ash tray so as to simplify the entire construction. In FIGURE 7 the shroud 22" is constructed so that it registers with the rim 12 of the ash tray. In such a case, the shroud also acts as a pedestal to support the candle holder and chimney glass on the ash tray.

In FIGURES 8-10 the ash tray takes the form of a simple circular dish 4 having semi-circular indentations 82 in the side walls thereof which are notched at the bottom 84 to engage cigarettes rested therein. The smoke incinerator 6' comprises an upright tubular candle holder 86 having four L-shaped spokes or legs 88 which are equiangularly arranged as a spider about the bottom of the holder 86 and welded thereto. The legs 88 rest on the rim 90 of the dish and are equipped with cleats 92 at their ends to center the holder on the dish. A cylindrical chimney glass 94 is supported on the legs within the cleats, to form a shroud over the dish, about the candle holder. Inserted within the glass, is an annular smoke baflle 96 which is sized to be frictionally retained at the level of the top of the holder 86. The inside diameter of the baflle 96 forms a narrow throat 98 with the candle holder which allows the smoke in the shroud to escape into the region 99 contiguous to the flame of the candle. Moreover, the chimney glass is inwardly flared at the top 100 so that the smoke rising through the throat expands into a divergentconvergent flow pattern as in the earlier embodiments.

The embodiments in FIGURES 8 and 9 also employ another feature of the invention which assures that the level of the flame will remain at the level of the throat as the candle burns down. It will be seen that the candle body 102 is tubular in form and is retained within the holder 86 between a caged spring 104 and a cap 106 which is twisted into engagement on the holder by means of a bayonet joint 108. The cap has a hole 110 in the center to pass the projecting end of the wick 112. As the body of the candle is consumed, the bias of the spring 104 raises it against the cap 106 so as to maintain the level of the Wick 112 and thus the level of the flame, relative to the throat 98.

If desired, secondary baffles may be employed in the flue to prolong the exposure of the smoke to the flame.

What is claimed is:

1. A smoke incinerator for ash trays comprising an elongated, open-ended, upright tubular'device for collecting the smoke from an ash tray, and releasing it into the ambient atmosphere thereabove, in a clarified condition, said device having a body of liquid-bu rning fuel disposed therein, which fuel body has means, connected therewith to support an open flame, and smoke channeling means in the device which define an intermediate throat therein that is reduced in diameter relative'to the lower end opening of the device, and arranged about the flame supporting means so that the smoke is channeled'through the contiguous region of the flame in reaching the ambient atmosphere.

2. The smoke incinerator according to claim 1 wherein the flame supporting means include a capillary wick.

3. The smoke incinerator accordingto claim 2 wherein the wick is upstanding from the fuel body, and the throat is annular in form and arranged about the lower end portion thereof to feed the smoke upwardly through the region of the flame.

4. The smoke incinerator according to claim 1 wherein there is an open ended frusto-conical shroud formed between the throat and the lower end opening of the device.

5. The smoke incinerator according to claim 4 wherein there is a bulbous flue connected to the upper end opening of the shroud.

6. The smoke incinerator according to claim 5 wherein the throat is disposed adjacent the upper end opening of the shroud and the flame supporting means include a capillary wick which is upstanding from the fuel body in the flue.

7. The smoke incinerator according to claim 6 wherein the fuel body is solid and disposed to terminate within the throat.

8. The smoke incinerator according to claim 1 further comprising means for maintaining the level of the flame in relation to the throat.

9. The smoke incinerator according to claim 1 further comprising a particle filter interposed between the throat and the lower end opening of the device.

10. In combination, an ash tray having a peripheral surface thereabout for supporting cigars and cigarettes, and an elongated, open-ended, upright tubular device supported thereabove to collect the smoke from the ash tray, and to release it into the ambient atmosphere thereabove, in a clarified condition, said device having a body of liquid-burning fuel disposed therein, which fuel body has means connected therewith to support an open flame, and smoke channeling means in the device which define an intermediate throat therein that is reduced in diameter relative to the lower end opening of the device, and arranged about the flame supporting means so that the smoke is channeled through the contiguous region of the flame in reaching the ambient atmosphere.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein the device is supported on the ash tray.

12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the fuel body is carried in a base which rests on the ash tray and has the device supported thereon.

13. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the device rests on the ash tray and has the fuel body sup ported thereon.

14. The combination according to claim 10 further comprising a pedestal for supporting the fuel body above the surface of the ash tray.

15. In combination, an ash tray having a peripheral surface thereabout for supporting cigars and cigarettes, and an elongated, open-ended upright tubular device supported thereabove to collect the smoke from the ash tray, and to release, it into the ambient atmosphere thereabove, in a clarified condition, said device having an intermediate throat therein that is reduced in diameter relative to the lower end opening thereof, for channeling the smoke upwardly through the device, and a burner element adjacent the throat which is openly disposed in the path of the smoke for supporting an afterburning effect therein, there being meansfconnected with the element to generate a temperature in the region contiguous thereto, having a magnitude adapted to incinerate unburned particles and fumes in the smoke.

16. The combination according to claim 15 wherein the burner element comprises a wick, and the incineration means includes a body of fuel connected to burn thereon when ignited.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 117,678 11/1939 Steeb et a1.

2,038,814 4/1936 Van Riper 131-240 2,265,903 12/1941 Hartje 131238 -X 2,298,826 10/1942 Grady 131238 X 2,644,467 7/ 1953 Breidert 131238 2,370,107 1/1956 De Shetler 131-238 2,747,101 5/ 1956 Hammond 131-231 X 2,879,862 3/1959 Borden. 3,337,455 8/ 1967 Wilson et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 80,804 6/ 1920 Austria. 126,314 6/ 1928 Switzerland.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 23-277; 431-202 

